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Alleged smuggling boss set to face court

An Afghan man suspected of being one of the most active people smugglers operating out of Indonesia in recent years will face court in Jakarta later this month, paving the way for his extradition to Australia.

Sayed Abbas, an ethnic Hazara, is accused of sending dozens of asylum-seeker boats to Australia over the past five years, including one that sank in December 2011, killing up to 200 people.

Indonesian authorities confirmed on Wednesday that police had officially handed the case over to prosecutors, and that a hearing date would probably be set within days.

"All documents for Sayed Abbas have been handed over to prosecutor," Hendra Andi Satya Gurning, the chief of extraditions with Indonesia's Justice and Human Rights Ministry, told AAP on Wednesday.

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The development comes after Australian officials last month finalised paperwork that was needed before the extradition hearing could proceed, including providing Indonesian authorities with details of the charges Abbas would face in Australia.

Representatives from the Australian Attorney-General's Department also visited Jakarta in late February in an effort to ensure the process would run smoothly.

Australia has been wanting to extradite Abbas since 2009.

Another official involved in the case said on Wednesday that it was possible Abbas could be extradited to Australia before the end of the month.

"We have just received official handing-over from the police on Sayed Abbas," he told AAP.

"I'm expecting his extradition hearing will take place within weeks."

It is believed the syndicate allegedly headed by Abbas has pocketed millions of dollars since appearing on the scene in 2008.

Abbas is suspected of being one of the most active people smugglers in Indonesia and is believed to have remained in business even while incarcerated in Salemba prison in Jakarta.

He was recently moved to police headquarters in Jakarta, possibly curtailing his alleged ability to organise asylum-seeker boats from behind bars.

But a source close to Abbas's operation has told AAP that he has effectively become a brand and asylum seekers wanting to take boats to Australia still contact agents who work for him.

Abbas denies all the charges against him, claiming he is the victim of mistaken identity.